Gifts for Explorers

A gift for the trip, not the suitcase

Travelers already have the bag and the packing cubes. What makes a trip is the day they did something they could not have planned alone. A guided experience gives them a local who knows the trail, the boat or the back roads, and it turns a place on their list into a booked day.

Ideas by where they like to go

For national parks and big scenery, guided tours of places such as Mt. Rainier, Olympic National Park and Mt. St. Helens handle the driving and the timing. On the water, whale watching cruises and sunset or full moon kayak tours are easy picks for nature lovers, in water sports. For a slower day out, wine country tours in Napa, Sonoma and other regions are in food and drink. For longer trips, see getaways, and for wildlife, animals.

Matching the gift to their next trip

Use the location filter on the listing to search the place they are going next. If they have not decided, pick an experience near home that feels like a trip, such as a lake, a park or a coastline an hour away. Our list of things to do outdoors in every season has more ideas.

Sending it

E-gifts arrive by email instantly or on the date you choose. Spur vouchers never expire and can be swapped for another experience, so a change of plans does not waste the gift. If you do not know where they are headed, a Spur gift card lets them choose. For other personalities, see gifts for adrenaline junkies and zen masters, or gifts for couples who travel together.